Have you ever heard the term “allium vegetables”? Allium vegetables are often used as spices in dishes because they can add more taste to the food. Onion groups including garlic, shallots and leeks are included in the category of allium vegetables.
The onion group has good benefits for our health. Garlic has always been used to treat several types of diseases including cholesterol, hypertension, and other heart-related diseases. Shallot can help reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity. In a study published in Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, it was found that garlic and shallots can also prevent the risk of colorectal cancer.
In their study, the researchers compared 833 individuals who were known to have colorectal cancer with 833 normal individuals as controls. The participants have the same age, sex, and lives in the same location. Participants were asked to undergo interviews regarding their diet and answer some questionnaires.
As a result, the researchers found that there was a significant relationship between the amount of allium vegetables consumed and the risk of colorectal cancer. Those who consumed larger amount of allium vegetables had a 79% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who consumed the lowest amount of allium vegetables. This was mainly caused by the bioactive compounds contained in allium vegetables, including flavanols and organosulfur.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay
Source(s):
- Wu, X., Shi, J., Fang, WX., Et all (2019). Allium C is a hospital-based matched case-control study in China. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, DOI: 10.1111 / ajco.13133.
- Medical News Today - Onions and garlic could protect against cancer (2019). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324524.php, March 12, 2019.